Public gets say in Shohola post office's hours

A hearing will be hosted at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Shohola Township building for public comment on reducing the hours of operation at the Shohola Post Office.

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By BETH BRELJE

poconorecord.com

By BETH BRELJE

Posted Jan. 4, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By BETH BRELJE

Posted Jan. 4, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

A hearing will be hosted at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Shohola Township building for public comment on reducing the hours of operation at the Shohola Post Office.

The hearing will be conducted by officials of the U.S. Postal Service, Shohola Officer in Charge Bernadette Knapp said.

The office currently operates eight hours a day. Hours will be trimmed to six hours a day, but the public will have some say in the new hours and services. Surveys regarding the hours were given to Shohola residents. The results of that survey will be shared at the public hearing but no decision will be made at the meeting.

Shohola has more than 1,500 home delivery customers and they will not be affected by the changes, Knapp said.

The 80 customers who use post office boxes could see a change.

The postal service could offer them roadside mailbox delivery; keep the post office box lobby accessible when the sales counter is closed; or move the boxes to a different post office.

The change in hours will affect the time during the week that a customer will be able to buy stamps, mail a package, pick up packages or other signature required items that could not be delivered by a mail carrier.

Current Saturday window service hours and access to delivery receptacles will not change.

The trimming of hours is a national move at some 13,000 smaller postal offices, in an effort to cut costs. The postal service is expected to start trimming hours in waves, starting in mid-January and completing the process by September 2014.

Local post offices slated for cut hours include: Buck Hill Falls, now open eight hours, reduced to four; Gilbert, from eight to four; Long Pond, from eight to four; Millrift from eight to two; Mountainhome, from eight to six; Pocono Manor, from eight to four; Portland, from eight to six; Scotrun, from eight to six; Skytop, from eight to two; Sterling, from eight to six; Analomink from eight to six; Damascus from eight to six; Lackawaxen, from eight to six; Greeley from eight to six; and Rowland from eight to four.